Surviving the Cold
by December21st
Summary: Victims of hypothermia should be treated immediately.


"Surviving the Cold"

By December21st

Fandom: Once Upon a Time

Rating: PG

Pairing: Emma/Captain Hook

Warnings: Spoilers through the end of Season 3. Spoilers for general concepts announced for Season 4A, but not for any specific plot details.

Summary: Victims of hypothermia should be treated immediately.

Just idle speculation about one possible type of scene the weather in Season 4 might bring.

* * *

As flurries of snow drift lazily down from the sky, David points out the window of the loft. "Look, Neal, it's snow," David explains to his infant son, cradled in his arms. "It's beautiful. Your mother was named for it. And she turned out just as beautiful."

Mary Margaret smiles from where she's doing dishes in the kitchen. "And that, Neal, is why your father is called Charming."

A frantic pounding at the door interrupts their tender moment. Mary Margaret moves swiftly, answering the door with one hand while the other is ready to grab the sword leaning against the wall.

Emma and Captain Hook are in the hallway, with Hook supporting Emma, who's semi-conscious and wrapped in Hook's big leather coat. Both are soaking wet (although the coat looks dry), dripping water onto the floorboards, their wet hair and shoulders dusted with snow and Hook's beard laced with frost.

"What happened?" Mary Margaret demands, immediately reaching forward to take Emma from Jones and leading her into the apartment.

"She was out on the Old North Pier, checking on some small boats that were docked there, when the end of the pier collapsed and she went into the water. I went in after her, fished her out, got the water out of her lungs, and brought her here," Hook chatters, following them in to the apartment.

"Emma, sweetheart, are you okay?" Mary Margaret clucks at her daughter as she tries to remove Hook's coat.

"'m fine," Emma mumbles, coughing and clutching the coat tighter around herself. "Just need a little nap."

"You should get her in a hot bath as soon as you can," Jones advises, leaning against the doorjamb, looking wan. "But keep her arms and legs out of the water. She was in the sea's embrace nearly long enough to freeze the blood in her veins. We're lucky we got her back at all."

David finishes securing Neal in his cradle and joins Mary Margaret at Emma's side. They work in concert to coax Emma out of Hook's coat, then move on to her shoes. "What made the pier collapse?" David inquires.

"Ice," Jones replies, sounding incredulous. "I've never seen anything like it. It came down along the shoreline from the north like a wave. If it had been a normal, gradual freezing, the pier would have stood up to it, but this hit like a sledgehammer, and the posts just buckled. By the time I got Swan back to shore, the whole harbor was frozen over. I wager your local shipwrights will be doing a brisk trade by tomorrow."

David leaves the room as Mary Margaret works on divesting Emma of her water-sodden red leather jacket. Moments later the sound of running water can be heard coming from the direction of the apartment's tiny bathroom.

Mary Margaret gives Jones a look, clearing her throat, and he grins feebly as he turns away, allowing her to continue undressing Emma without his supervision. He sighs, and takes a step towards the front door when he finds a stack of heavy dry fabric shoved into his arms. David's standing in his way, having just handed him a towel and what seems to be a change of clothes.

"You saved my little girl," David tells the pirate. "You saved my little girl and you risked your own life to do it. I may not be able to give you a royal reward, much as I'd like to, but I can give you some dry clothes, a hot bowl of soup, and a place on the couch for the night so you don't have to go back out into the cold."

Jones nods, looking thoughtful. "You know, mate, there's some that would say that's worth more than any royal reward."

David contemplates Killian Jones as the other man climbs the stairs, smiles thoughtfully, and then goes back to helping his daughter.


End file.
